


All For Love

by commanderlexacoon



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Oneshot, Sad Ending, and despite what you guys may think THE ENDING IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY, goddamnit, reggie wants LOVE, this is kind of batshit crazy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-25 07:51:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18256952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commanderlexacoon/pseuds/commanderlexacoon
Summary: Reggie Mantle happens to meet Edgar Evernever after Riverdale High's production of Heathers. What follows is completely out of his control...or so he thinks.(warning: depictions of manipulation occur rapidly throughout the oneshot!)





	All For Love

It had been only a day after Reggie Mantle and Veronica Lodge broke up, yet to Reggie it felt like an eternity. She became almost unrecognizable to him within that time-span, as if she had been glossed ended a new demeanor to him. 

As if all the betrayals and lies had finally hit him like a freight-train, she was no longer appearing like the same Ronnie He had known. Did he still love her? Obviously, yes. He couldn't remember last he didn't harbor such strong feelings for anyone, not even his family. 

Reggie smirked to himself, while he stripped off his Ram Sweeney letter jacket in the dormant dressing room, tears shining in the corner of his eyes as he was finally alone to let himself... feel. Reggie was never a cryer, not even after the years of demeaning abuse he endured from his father. But this... this was a tough moment.

Curling his fist around the vermillion felt fabric of his jacket, two bitter twin tears fell as his jaw clenched in anger. He had given her everything, everything! And to her, he was only a wind up toy that she could start and stop whenever she pleased. Maybe, just maybe she started to feel something for him, yet her intent was just the same for now. And he had fallen for it again, like the idiotic dumbass that he was. 

In a spout of red hot anger, Reggie slammed the heavy felt jacket against the rack that held the other jocks' costumes. He briskly ran his fingers through his curled black hair, scanning the mess he had made. He wanted to do more; smash the mirrors or possibly smash a chair or two into bits. And in the midst of wanting to lay waste to the hairspray infected dressing room, he couldn't bring himself to do it. 

All he wanted now was to abscond, from everything. Not, that anyone would miss him or even bat an eye at his immediate disappearance. Tears were heavily falling in that moment as he briefly predicted what would happen in his absence. His school would probably find his disappearance not novel, and it would soon diminish from their minds in about a week. His parents wouldn't give a rat's ass about where Reggie disappeared off to, simply would save his father the extra money to pay him back as his old allowance somehow disappeared. And Veronica, his Ronnie, would be too busy finding comfort in her friends and Archie, leading to a possible reconciliation between two and their ever-shifting relationship, all the while acting like Reggie had never even set foot into her life whatsoever. 

What a fucking great impact, he made on everyone's life... 

Reggie slumped into a run-down dressing room chair, bending over to massage the bridge of his nose against the cold, make-up dusted countertop. He knew he was worth more than what this shitty town had to offer. He deserved better than how he was being treated, yet that still didn't diminish the ache he had for Veronica to return his strong feelings he had for her. Maybe, simply maybe, he could find someone like her. He'd just have to get out of this hellhole called Riverdale- 

"Mr. Mantle? I thought I heard a crash in here..." an unfamiliar and chill-inducing voice chimed near the front of the door. Vigorously wiping away the tears that his face had worn, he stood up with a mask of his typical, egocentric self. 

"This dressing room is for cast members only, bro. And I'm just about to leave anyways," Reggie growled to the ghostly figure in the doorway. 

It was the man from the audience. That man. 

"I assume you may not know me personally," the man replied as he stalked towards the jock. Holding out his hand, the man's lips turned in a cordial smile. 

"Edgar Evernever, head administrator of the Farm and father to your fellow peer, Evelyn Evernever." 

Reggie's eyes blinked in confusion as he shook Evernever's firmly cold grasp. "How'd you know-" "-your name?" Evernever interrupted with his brow raised, which melted into a far too kind smile. "I saw your name in the musical's brochure. Also, the Farm is legislated to help clean up the remaining props and costumes. I'm cleaning out the boy's...and here you happened to be!" 

He was over-explaining, which was a surefire sign that he was either lying or he was just that fucking creepy...or both. And though Reggie may have not been the brightest in his class, he knew a schemer when he saw one. 

"Right..." he added sarcastically. 

Evernever's brow raised again, and he chuckled. "You don't believe me?"

"Nah, not at all," Reggie lied with the briefest hint of sarcasm. "And considering that you are here to pick up costumes, you can see I'm not entirely ready to go, so could you uh...give me a moment?" 

"Of course! How rude of me!" Evernever beamed, which made Reggie's stomach twist uncomfortably. He glided over to the doorway before halting simply inches out of the dressing room.

"Mr. Mantle, would you be inclined to helping me take the supplies back to the farm? I'll offer twenty dollars per hour." 

As fishy as it sounded, Reggie couldn't pass up that offer. He was jobless and without an allowance, all thanks to Veronica once again, which meant ever cent that he got counted. And as late as it fucking was and all the thoughts running through his head, it was either do a distracting errand or lay awake in bed with the 'woe is me' crap. 

"Sure, why not," Reggie said with a sigh. Though he couldn't see Evernever, he could only guess at how proportionally big his grin had gotten at Reggie's words. 

"Excellent! Evelyn and Kevin Keller will also be accompanying us in the haul. It's almost 10:30, so I'd advise you to skip your tantrum and hurry out as quick as possible." Reggie rolled his eyes as Evernever closed the door tightly shut behind him. 

Was he really about to join this cult fanatic in the dead of night? All to avoid bawling like a fucking baby in his bed until school started tomorrow? You bet your ass he was...

 

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

 

"Well, that was tiring!" Evelyn said cheerily as they loaded every last prop or costume into the Farm's building, which made it far too tempting for Reggie to throw a chair at her or just fucking leave. 

It was now 1:00 a.m., which was far too late then he had intended to help. He wasn't even sure if it was worth the forty dollars and fifty cents, but at least they were done now. Reggie felt he deserved extra pay, as he was the only one that had lifted anything over thirty pounds out of the four. 

"I think we all deserve a treat and refreshments!" Evelyn added while pulling out a bag of brownie bites from her purse. Almost as if she had been waiting... 

"Thanks but I better head home. My parents are probably going to kill me for staying out so late on a school night..." Reggie trailed, causing Evelyn's smile to fade. "Oh come on, stay a little longer! This won't take but ten minutes!" Evelyn pleaded, jiggling the brownie bag in emphasis. 

"Yeah, Reg. Weatherbee has already agreed to let all the crew skip first period tomorrow, so why not enjoy ourselves and sleep later? Sleep is for the weak!" Kevin joked as him and Evelyn erupted into an almost identically fanatical laughter. 

"I...guess hanging around for a little bit wouldn't be too bad." Reggie caved in, as the thought of a snack sounded so freaking good at the moment. Evelyn's smile along with Kevin's grew to about the size of Evernever's a few hours earlier.

"Great! Let's devour these in the janitor room," Kevin said slyly, implying that the room had nothing to do with cleaning supplies whatsoever. 

"Whoa you guys, should we even be going in there?" 

"It'll be fine, Mr. Buzzkill! Trust me." Evelyn quirked, giving Reggie a beckoning gesture to follow her and Kevin. 

Well...this isn't the first time Reggie ever did anything bad in a janitor's closet. Except this time, there are no cute girls involved, which was a definite bummer... 

After finishing the brownies in the janitor's room (which was definitely NOT janitor's closet, but more like an extra room all by itself), Reggie felt strangely...calm. Hell, knowing these freaks, they probably drugged him and were about to cut out and boil his insides for whatever bizarre reason. 

But he was too far down the hill to do anything about it...and he most certainly didn't feel the slightest bit of pain from the heartbreak he had endured earlier- 

"Evelyn, once again, your brownies hit the spot!" Kevin prided. She blushed and laughed. 

"Thanks, Kev. Now, I was thinking, what if we were to do an open house soon for the Farm? Of course you and Reggie would be starting to pass out the flyers tomorrow-" 

Wait, what?

"Hold up..." Reggie chuckled, feeling their bullshit drugs starting to kick in full force. Definitely wasn't jingle jangle, or fizzle rocks. No, this was something else...

"I never agreed to join your little Satanic cult." Reggie blurted out, leaving Evelyn and Kevin stunned. "But...my dad said you did?" Evelyn whispered.

The fuck? 

"No, I just agreed to help you guys out for tonight. I don't have the time anyways..." Reggie said, and despite how high he felt in the moment, something inside of him was ringing an ear-splitting alarm, telling him to leave. 

Once again, this bold declaration left his peers stunned, and Reggie wasted no time in hopping to his feet (shakily) while turning to the door to make a run for it. He wasn't going to get sucked into that fucking cult, he just wasn't. He wasn't even sure if he was sober enough to drive home, but he had to try. 

Yet, Evelyn and Kevin made no attempt to stop him. He didn't hear them shift behind him in an effort to block the doors, or maybe they were and he was just too high to notice.

"...is it because of your break-up with Veronica?" Evelyn whispered again, yet at the same moment felt like a jarring scream. 

What? 

Reggie paused dead in his tracks. How did they know about the break up? Have they been spying on him? Just keep walking, he told himself, yet this slight quip from Evelyn had already reeled him back in, and they knew it. 

"You know?" He said with his voice cracking. 

"Everyone knows. Secrets don't stay secrets in Riverdale High," Kevin added as Reggie turned back to face them. 

"I...I could've sworn Veronica and I-" 

"Were alone? You forget me and Kevin work up on the stage practically 24/7. We heard the whole thing." Reggie shook his head with a snort. 

"Thanks for the reminder that I can't go anywhere alone at that school with you Evernevers breathing down my neck. But besides, what does that have with me not wanting to join your spooky cult? I have better reasons for not wanting to be wrapped up in this shit-show." 

"It's not about that. It's about what's holding you back, Reggie." Kevin replied as him and Evelyn stood up almost in sync. Reggie did not meet their piercing eye contact. "Your heartbreak is keeping you from experiencing things. You feel like no one cares for you; therefore, you want to leave..." 

Reggie could not fucking believe what he was hearing. Despite feeling super creeped out, he didn't feel like hearing about this once more. He couldn't, it was still too heartbreaking to overlay. But perhaps that was their intention... 

"But Reggie, we care about you. Here at the Farm, Kev and I. We want you to be happy, and most importantly, free. Free from all bad emotions and traumas." Evelyn softly concluded, walking over to him and touching his arm in a supposed comfort. 

This was all too much. They... they were manipulating him! Weren't they? 

By now, he was too high and tired to notice. What if this was all a bad dream? And he was still bad at the dressing rooms? By now, he'd take anything to be back there again. 

"No...you aren't doing this to me. I have to leave, and consider this the last time I ever talk to you nut-cases again--" 

Evelyn sighed as he shook off her hand, and Reggie could feel that he was actually seeing clearly for the first time this whole night. It wasn't often he stood up for himself, but he was proud to say that he was getting good at it.

"But she's here too, Reggie. Veronica wants you to stay, we all do..." Reggie eyes widened as he frantically tried to continue to escape from the room. 

His coordination became utterly slick, as he could barely grasp the door handle to leave. He was going to fucking die here, wasn't he?

"Reggie?" 

And that's when he felt his heart stop.

He'd know that beautiful voice anywhere. It belonged to her, the only person he ever truly loved. Ronnie. 

Was he hearing things? Or hallucinating? That's what he considered until he turned and saw her. She was wearing the last outfit she had on before leaving the school, but her expression was the most pleasant he had seen in days. That should've been a definitive hint that what he was seeing was only a hallucination, that is, until Kevin and Evelyn began to acknowledge her as well.

"She's been waiting for you to join, Reggie. The Farm welcomed her with open arms, and they can do the same for you." All the three smiled serenely, causing a shudder to shake Reggie's spine as tears began to well in his eyes.

"She's not real," he stammered, but it seemed as if he was only trying to convince himself moreover than them. 

"But she is, Reggie. And better yet, she wants you. Not as a hook up, not as business partner, but just as you are. Like we all do." 

"No!" Reggie barked at them, tears streaming down his face. "Whatever fucking game you two are playing better stop!" As if his legs turned to stone beneath him, he couldn't hardly propel them to leave. As if  his body was betraying him in staying... 

Suddenly, as if perfectly on queue, the apparition of his ex-girlfriend began to stride over to him. He wanted to look away from her, but at the same time her presence seemed to calm him the closer she approached. 

"Reggie, it's okay to be scared at first. I was too. But now we are here together. Kevin and Evelyn, even Mr. Evernever, all showed me the light. They can do the same for you," Veronica whispered, bringing his fingers to caress the side of his cheek. 

"You're...not...real," Reggie whispered through gritted teeth. "The real Veronica...the real Ronnie...wouldn't join this place. And she...would never love me like I love her." 

"But I do. I didn't realize it until now, after the Farm freed me and allowed me to see clearly for once. Please..." she hushed while pulling him closer to her. "Stay with me here. We can both be free together." 

"She's telling you the truth, Reggie," Kevin added. "I was a mess when Moose left, and I felt like with my dad marrying Mrs. McCoy, no one wanted me. But the Farm _did._ They gave me Fangs, just like they're giving you Veronica." Reggie shook his head, not allowing Veronica to wipe the stray tears off his cheeks.

"I...can't." Veronica then did what he least expected. Something he had been craving, something that he had felt like had been an eternity since it had happened. Yet all the while, it was all he needed to melt into her warm touch. 

Bringing his hands to tangle in her raven black hair, he returned the kiss with equal passion and desperate clinging as if she would disappear if he stopped. Reggie gasped and shuttered in between the kisses, feeling the knot in his stomach unravel for the first time that night. All thoughts of doubt had diminished by now, leaving him only in a feeling of desperation and utter love that he had been craving in return from her. 

Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him into a tight embrace, halting the kiss for a  brief moment . Reggie fell to his knees as he wept into the woman he loved. 

"Please don't ever leave me...again," he choked in anguish.

Footsteps circled him as her fingers knotted in his hair. "Don't worry, Reggie. I'll always be here," she whispered. 

" _We all will_."

**Author's Note:**

> My first veggie onehsot! The ending is completely up to your interpretation on whether Reggie was truly hallucinating or if the Farm had gotten Veronica too. I'm so heartbroken over them right now and I fully believe Reggie deserves better. I'm still a veggie shipper for life though! Anyways, hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
